The award-winning, Spanish language sci-fi short film Pixel Theory: La Caja de Pandora (Pandora's Box) is a gorgeous, haunting, and tragic tale about the dark side of virtual reality (VR).

The short is set in a post-apocalyptic future where a mysterious cyborg has conquered the globe.

All of humanity is plugged into a VR landscape where everyone appears as highly idealized versions of themselves.

Everyone participates in a series of deadly tournaments called "Extreme Hologames," which serve to distract the populace from the devastation and destitution of the real, physical world.

However, one man (Javier Páez) defiantly chooses to permanently disconnect from the VR environment after the death of his beloved wife.

His son, Javier (Ismael Fritschi), desperately tries to convince his father to accept the world order and plug back in.

The father adamantly refuses, and both men passionately try to sway the other to accept his worldview. All the while, a dangerous threat approaches that threatens all their futures.

Like the similarly themed, outstanding short Uncanny Valley, Pixel Theory writer and directer Daniel Hernández presents a bleak future where human connection has been sacrificed due to technological sedation - with disastrous results.

Watch the impressive Pixel Theory below. The short is in Spanish with English subtitles ...

The filmmakers have launched a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise capital for a full-length feature that will expand upon the world and themes introduced in the short film.